Posted by See 9 steps to post a job on Upwork for freenlancers and pro tips for expert employers as well to get the best candidates for jobs.
What is Upwork?
Upwork is a platform that brings together freelancers looking for gigs and employers searching for assistance on projects that vary by time commitment, industry, and skill levels. Employers post job listings with an in-depth description of their project and the type of freelancer they are looking for.
The platform is literarily a job board that connects companies looking for talent with freelancers who can complete writing, design, and programming projects.
Upwork provides a matching service that intuitively suggests qualified freelancers for your project. Freelancers can also send bids or proposals for your project. Either way, you end up with a selection of skilled freelancers interested in working with you.
In 2017, Upwork had over twelve million registered freelancers and five million registered clients. More than three million jobs worth over $1billion USD together were posted in 2017. In March 2022, Upwork was named to TIME’s List of 100 Most Influential Companies of the year 2022.
Tips, Hacks and Strategies To Dominate Upwork.
How To Post A Job On Upwork
To post a job on Upwork is quite simple and straightforward. However, if you want your job posting to be as effective as possible, there are some vital tips you should know. Alongside these tips, there are also some exclusive pro tips to look out for. Let’s start from the very beginning
Step 1: How to create an Upwork account
To post a job on Upwork, firstly, you need to create an account. The good news is that Upwork makes this process very simple for clients seeking freelancers. You’ll start by clicking on the bright green “Post job” button in the top right corner of the homepage. Next, you’ll be taken to the signup page, where you’ll be required for your name and email address. Upwork prefers using a work email address to sign up, but any email will do if a professional email address is unavailable. Next, you will be asked to create a password and choose what you’ll be using your account for. Since you’re an employer, click the “Hire for a Project” option.
Once your account is complete, you can move on to creating your job posting.
RELATED ARTICLE: 15 Fiverr gigs that requires no skill to make money online today.
Step 2: Choose a job name and category on Upwork
The first thing you will be asked to do is create a name for your job post. This is one of the most significant parts of creating a quality listing, so choose your job name wisely. However, the job name depends on the type of job that you’re posting.
Pro Tips for a Great Job Title:
1- Keep the title clear and concise: you want freelancers to know what the job entails.
2- Upwork only allows 50 characters in the title, so make sure each word counts.
3- Use keywords that are likely to be searched for by those with the skills needed for your project.
For example:
Instead of- Looking for Good Writer ASAP
Try- 2K Word Articles on Healthy Desserts in 48 Hours
Instead of- Design Expert
Try- Graphic Designer for Company Logo- InDesign Skills
After you’ve come up with a great title, you will be asked to choose a job category. This is very simple because Upwork does an excellent job guessing the correct category based on your title. Yet, if you don’t like the categories that Upwork selects, you always have the option to choose your own from a drop-down menu.
Step 3: Write an effective description
Along with your job title, your description is one of the critical aspects of creating a job posting. In the description section, Upwork allows up to 5,000 characters, so you can be descriptive as much as possible. This way, potential candidates will have a clear idea of whether or not they qualify for your project and will be less likely to submit a proposal if they don’t.
Pro Tips for an Effective Job Description:
- List the experience and skills necessary for an ideal candidate
- Give a clear and thorough explanation of the field of the job and what it will entail
- Include how long the job is expected to take, e.g., is it a long-term position or a short-term project
- Take note of any contracts such as an NDA [nondisclosure agreement], which is essential to consider. A freelancer may be required to sign an NDA to work on the project
- The purpose of the job and any challenges that may be necessary for a successful freelancer to overcome
- Consider including a question for potential candidates- this way, you can quickly eliminate those that didn’t thoroughly read your description by checking to see if your question was answered
- Make sure to proofread your description, as any spelling errors will make it appear unprofessional and discourage high-level applicants.
Secrets of an Upwork Master: A Complete Guide.
Step 4: Supply your project details
When filling out your project details, you have several important things to pay attention to; these include the project type, API integration, and your project’s stage.
Project Type
Under project type, you’ll need to choose whether the project will be an ongoing or one-time project. If you’re not yet sure for any reason-for instance, you’d like to get a sense of a freelancer’s performance before committing, or if you need to see how the project develops- Upwork gives you an option for that. All you need to do is click the ‘I’m Not Sure’ button.
API Integration
At this point, you need to decide if there are any existing applications that you’d like to integrate your job posting with. You can pick from various payment processors, cloud storage options, social media accounts, etc.
Project Stage
To finish up the project details page, Upwork has to know how far along your current project is. Upwork gives you three options;
Firstly- I have specifications: You can choose this option if you have a strong understanding of what you are looking for and specific directions to provide a freelancer.
Secondly- I have designs: If you have already started the process and have a design that you would like brought to life, you can go with this option.
Thirdly- I just have a concept: For projects that are still vague and in their initial phases, this is the best choice for you.
Step 5: State the required expertise
This step is short and straightforward; it requires choosing a skill and expertise that are important for the successful completion of your project. You will be given several options to choose from based on the job category you’ve input. If you don’t see an opportunity that you’d like to include, Upwork allows you to manually type in any additional skills in the bottom text box.
Pro tips for selecting the Best areas of expertise:
First and foremost, be as specific as possible. Many of the best freelancers can be selective about the jobs for which they apply and will search for the key terms that they are interested in. For example, “CSS3” and “HTML5” are better choices to include in your search than “web programming”.
Secondly, don’t go overboard. Adding to many areas of expertise can sometimes do more harm than good. A massive list of required skills may put you in a situation where there are no qualified freelancers available to submit applications- or only ones that will charge you an enormous rate.
Lastly, if you aren’t sure, ask an expert. It is possible that you might not have a good sense of the type of skills that will be required to complete the job but successfully. It is best to get the opinion of someone who is familiar with the industry. A Google search can also go a long way to ensure you get the most highly qualified candidates submitting.
Step 6: Indicate your freelancer’s location
Next, you’ll be asked if you have any preferences for which country or region your freelancer originates from. This is very important if your assignment requires an individual to speak a specific language or be familiar with a particular culture. Upwork allows you to manually choose any region or country you’d like or stick to only offering your project in your domestic market. If your domestic market is determined, you’ll be allowed to choose the time zone you’d prefer. This can be helpful in cases where timing is a potential issue for work hours or availability. Keep in mind that you’re working with freelancers, which means that not everyone works regular hours.
Step 7: Determine who can see your project
The next step involves choosing and selecting who can view your job posting. Upwork gives you three options;
- Anyone; You can choose this option if you want your post to be visible to people both on and off the Upwork platform, e.g., Google search.
- Only Upwork freelancers; This option allows your post to be visible to freelancers already working on the Upwork platform.
- Invite only; Just as the name suggests, pick this option if you want those that you’ve invited to be able to see your post.
Furthermore, to finish this step, you’ll need to let Upwork know how many freelancers you’ll require for your task. You’re given two primary options; one freelancer or more than one freelancer. If you are looking for several freelancers, you’ll have an opportunity to state how many you’d like to hire. Additionally, you’ll be given a choice to add additional qualifications to help narrow down the number of freelancers your post will be visible to, although this step is optional. These qualifications include freelance type, job success score, level of English, and the number of hours the freelancer has billed on Upwork, which indicates their experience on the platform.
Step 8: Decide how much you are willing to spend
Depending on how you intend to pay your freelancer, Upwork will give you entirely different payment options. So firstly, you’ll need to decide whether you’ll want to pay by the hour or to pay a fixed price for the whole project. Regardless of how you choose to pay, determining an appropriate budget is a big decision. One of the big reasons employers hire via freelance platforms is that it can be much more cost-effective than hiring a full-time employee. That said, it’s always a good idea to treat freelancers that do great work for you very well to develop lasting relationships and avoid the application process in the future.
Pay by the Hour
If you choose you’d like to pay by the hour, Upwork asks for a bit of additional information, including:
Freelancer’s experience level: This will assist in determining an appropriate hourly rate. You’re allowed to choose an entry-level freelancer, an intermediate freelancer, or an expert freelancer.
Length of Project: Here you’ll let potential applicants know how long you’ll require their services. Again, you’re given three self-explanatory options; less than one month, one to three months, and more than three months.
Time requirement: This is where you’ll inform potential applicants of the weekly time commitment your project requires, including more or less than 30 hours per week. There is also an option if you are not yet sure.
Pay a Fixed Price
If you choose to pay a fixed price, you’ll be given two simple options: your project’s budget and the experience level of the freelancer you’d like to hire. For the budget, choose an amount around how much you’d like to spend on the project. This number doesn’t need to be exact, as it’s only nothing but an estimate. Freelancers will let you know how much they’ll be willing to do the project during the proposal process. Next, you’ll choose if you want an entry-level, intermediate, or expert freelancer. The higher the level of experience you’d like, the higher your budget price should be.
The Ultimate Guide To Attracting, Converting, And Keeping Excellent Clients On Upwork.
Step 9: Review Your Posting
The final step is to review your job posting. Make sure that everything is grammatically correct, that the options you have chosen match your project’s requirements, and that your budget is set at the right amount. Other than this, you have very little to do on this page, although Upwork does give you a couple of options, including;
Boost your Job’s visibility
This option allows you to feature your job post for a one-time fee of 29.99 USD, which has several advantages, including:
- A ‘featured job’ ribbon is attached to your post.
- A shortlist of ideal job candidates will be emailed to you
- Your posting will be moved to the top of the search results
- Top rated and rising talent freelancers, i.e., freelancers that Upwork has recognized as being the best of the best, will be offered a discounted platform fee for taking on your project
Email your coworkers
If you have coworkers you’d like involved in the hiring process, you can reach out to them. Insert their email addresses and attach a short message before hitting the ‘Post Job’ button. However, if you don’t want others to be able to hire and pay your freelancers, make sure to uncheck the box labeled ‘Also allow these coworkers to hire and pay with this account.
Once you’re done with your posting and you’ve ensured that all information is inputted correctly, simply click the green ‘Post Job Now’ button, and your job will go live. That is all you need to post a job on Upwork.
You may also like to read our latest article, How To Sell On Amazon: Everything You Need To Know.
